5 Trends to Help Better Your Brand in 2021
A lot of blogs around this time of the year try to predict and forecast what we can expect from the year ahead. But, SPOILER ALERT: I don’t believe in trends. Especially when it comes to branding.
Your brand should be built on your unique story—on a strong foundation of timeless values and meaning that will last far beyond any trend.
But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be mindful of what’s happening around us.
Trends are important to watch not to copy what they are, but to examine why they are happening.
In this blog, I’ve taken trends I’ve been observing (but more importantly, the motivations behind them) and turned them into actionable ideas to help you build your brand in 2021.
01
Show your face
Yes, face mask and all.
It’s easy to hide behind a brand. It’s the biggest challenge I have with my clients. They shy away from showing their face on social media and cringe at the thought of doing a live or speaking directly to the camera in stories.
But, listen. People don’t just buy products, they buy products from people. And people are looking to engage with brands that feel familiar and human; brands they can trust and champion.
Particularly if you are a small businesses, side hustler or solopreneur—you are your brand. I repeat, you are your brand. Stop hiding behind what you think your brand is and challenge yourself to make real connections to the humans, just like you with the same insecurities and quirks, on the other side of that screen. Trust me. People will respond in ways that a beautiful branded graphic just can’t.
—Ideas:
+ Pre-record. Sometimes creating your story on the fly in the app can feel overwhelming and stressful. So take your time. Create a script if you have to and pre-record what you want to post. You can film as many takes as you need and edit until you're comfortable.
+ Phone a friend. You don't have to do it alone. Think about doing an instagram live with a business partner where you can ask eachother questions and feed off of their energy or just take the attention off of you for a bit.
+ Start small. Okay, maybe video is still too much for you. Start out with a brand photoshoot that features you. It could be headshots but it can also be more laid-back—think candid photos of you working, making, etc.
02
Connect people to your brand story
This has been a growing trend over the past decade. But in 2020, we really saw more brands taking the time to share their startup stories, behind the scenes and mission-driven content all in an effort to connect more deeply with their consumers.
People want a connection that goes beyond the transaction. And in a world where they have more access to a million options just like yours, you have to ask yourself— what is going to differentiate your brand or experience from the rest and be the tipping point for them choosing you?
I guarantee you, 100% of the time, it’s going to be your brand story and the connection they make to not just what you do, but why and how you do it in the way only you can.
—Ideas:
+ Create a 1:00 brand video. This should be evergreen content that shares why you do what you do or how you got started or what you are most passionate about. If you don't have the budget for a video, storytell with photography.
+ Create behind the scenes micro-content. Share your process, your team or the care and quality that goes into the products or services you provide.
+ Share the meaning behind your logo or brand. If you're lucky enough to have a logo that connects to your brand story or mission share the meaning behind it.
03
Stand for something
2020 has shown us the importance of brand responsibility, the power of cancel culture and the desire for people to use their purchasing power to create the change they want to see in the world.
People will continue to crave and demand more sustainable, ethical, and transparent ways of doing business. They will expect brands to have a strong point of view, to stand for something and be driven by values as much as profit.
—Ideas:
+ Make it clear. Add a section or page to your website dedicated to sharing your values or what you believe in.
+ Don't just talk about your values, live them. Donate a proceed of sales to an organization that aligns with your mission and values or partner with an organization or individual that shares your values to create a limited-run product or service.
+ Start from within. Create internal messages, campaigns or programs for your team or employees that fosters your values from the inside out. Maybe you find creative ways to infuse your values into the onboarding process or invest in diversity or values-based education for yourself or your team. You could match employee or customer donations or simply facilitate a day to give back to the community or appreciate your customers.
04
Reinvent and Reinvest
Listen, just because I don’t believe in following brand trends, doesn’t mean your brand has to grow stale or tired.
You can always reinvent yourself or your brand and leverage a trend (hello, Tik Tok) by creating micro-campaigns or short-term experimental content.
Think about how big brands do this with commercials or temporary slogans (i.e. McDonald’s I’m Lovin’ It back in the 2000’s. Still kept their iconic golden arches, still kept their brand colors red and yellow, but they reintroduced themselves in a fresh, new way with a successful campaign. And hey, when times change again (as it always will), they will pivot and create a new campaign once again.)
You can think about this in the way you might change your style or wardrobe. Who you are, what you believe in, your name, etc. (aka your brand) doesn’t change just because you change your clothes. Sure, you can wear something trendy and cool in the moment, but you should still always be you.
Now, there is one exception to this. Maybe this change you’re experiencing or experimenting with feels more long-term. Maybe you are becoming an entirely different person under those clothes, or they aren’t fitting the same as they once did. In that case, it might be time for a rebrand to better reflect the new person you are becoming, or already are.
—Ideas:
+ Know yourself, know your brand. Knowing when to jump on a trend or rebrand relies on being deeply connected to who you are, how you are changing and where you want yourself or your brand to go. This takes a lot of intentional, reflective work.
Here's a quick exercise:
Write a list of adjectives to describe you or your brand today. In a second column, list adjectives to describe the brand or person you want to be. Examine the difference between the two. The greater the difference, the greater the investment needs to be.
+ Create a campaign. Pick a value, product or theme to create a micro-campaign around. This should still be "on brand" so consider staying within your core elements (like color, type, etc.) but let your brand loose a bit and create something fresh, exciting and eye-catching.
05
Diversify your content
Anyone else cringe when they see another Instagram update or release of a new feature?
As much as I love new ways to create, I also feel overwhelmed by the many different platforms and features that I have to constantly keep up with.
Whenever something new comes out, my clients immediately message me things like, “Should I be making reels? Should I be on Tik Tok?”
Here’s what I’ll say:
On Instagram:
The instagram algorithm sucks. We know this, we hate this. But we must also learn to work with it. Think about engagement from Instagram’s perspective/goals as a business. They want people to use their new features and spend as much time on the app as humanly (or inhumanly) possible. So the algorithm is designed to reward such behaviors. If you want the algorithm to work for you, use all their features (make reels, do lives, post on IGTV, like, comment, share…. you get it.) Do this to the best of your ability as often as you can.
But remember, unlike the algorithm, you are not a robot. You are a human being with a life outside of the app. So don’t stress yourself out about posting enough or try to create content like a machine. Just do your best, engage with your audience first and foremost and have compassion for yourself as you go.
On Tik Tok (or any other platforms):
Deciding what platforms you should be on depends entirely on your unique business and where your specific audience is most engaged and active. You cannot and should not try to be everything for everyone. Be strategic and intentional with your time and where and how you choose to show up. Seek out your customers or your audience wherever they are and in the ways that best serves them.
—Ideas:
+ Pay attention. Study your metrics and review your instagram insights for your posts. Pay attention to what time of day your audience is active, what they are most engaged with and design a content strategy around them.
+ Don't rely solely on Instagram. Remember, you don't own instagram. That following is not yours. You will want to create your own website where you house your own content should anything happen to the social media platforms you are on.
+ Build an e-mail list. Per the previous point, you will want to create a more direct relationship with your audience. And more people use email than any other social media platform. In addition, email marketing on average sees a 4300 percent return on investment (ROI) for businesses in the United States. That makes sense considering they've opted to receive emails from you which means they are already interested or invested in what you do.
And, if you need more help finding focus, you can always download my latest guided workbook to help you craft an actionable plan for your brand in 2021.
Don’t forget this week only I’m giving everyone a virtual high-five just for making it through 2020. Use promo code HIGHFIVE at checkout for $10 off.
